Partition with end panels



Aug. 30, 1-966 G, S. HOLMES PARTITION WITH END PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 22, 1963 mm mm mm INVENTOR GEORGE S. HOLMES Aug. 30, 1966 G. S. HOLMES PARTITION WITH END PANELS Filed Oct. 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE S. HOLMES United States Patent "ice 3,269,636 PARTITION WITH END PANELS George S. Holmes, Middlesex, N..I., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 317,878

7 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to a novel partition or separator which is particularly adapted for'use within a wrap-around bottle carrier for both separating individual bottles disposed within the carrier and preventing the accidental removal of the bottles through the ends of the carrier.

An efficient and functional bottle carrier must not only properly support the bottles to facilitate the carrying thereof, but must also prevent contact of adjacent bottles so as to prevent damage to the bottles during normal handling. A basic commercially acceptable type of bottle carrier includes a carton which may be placed around a desired number of bottles and engaged beneath the bottoms of the bottles with the necks of the bottles passing through suitable openings in a top portion of the carton. The carrier also includes a suitable type of separator or partition for positioning within the carton to prevent the contact of the bottles with each other. In this basic type of carrier, it is desired that the carrier be placed on the bottles as they move along a conveyor line. It is desirable that the separator be first placed with respect to the bottles, after which the carton of the carrier is wrapped around both the bottles and the separator to form the complete package. It thus will be apparent that it is desirable that the bottle separator be separate and independent from the carton in its initial state. It is to this type of separator or partition that the present invention relates.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel bottle partition or separator for use with a wrap-around carton in the formation of a bottle carrier, the separator being readily formed from a single sheet of material and being provided with projecting intermediate flanges on opposite sides of a central partition panel thereof, the intermediate flanges being adapted to be disposed between adjacent bottles to prevent engagement of the bottles, and terminal flanges at opposite ends of the central partition panel for preventing the accidental movement of the bottles out of the ends of the carton.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel separator for use in a bottle carrier of the type including a wrap-around carton, the separator including a central panel defined by two upstanding walls, at least one of the two upstanding walls being joined at opposite ends thereof to outwardly directed end flanges disposed generally normal to the planes of the upstanding walls, the end flanges defining end bottle stops for preventing the accidental movement of the bottles out of the ends of the carton, a plurality of pairs of intermediate flanges directed outwardly from the upstanding Walls to form intermediate bottle spacers disposed generally normally to the planes of the upstanding Walls to prevent engagement between adjacent bottles, and at least one of the pairs of intermediate flanges being formed from wall portions of both of the upstanding walls with a lesser area of one of the walls and a greater area of another of the walls being utilized to form each of the pair of intermediate flanges.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel separator of the type immediately above-described which additionally includes a connecting panel joining each of the end flanges to the one central panel along a first fold line and to each of the end flanges along a second fold line to facilitate the formation of 3,269,636 Patented August 30, 1966 the separator from a one-piece blank and to reinforce the connection between the central panel and the end flanges of the separator when the same is used with a wrap-around carton.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel separator for use in conjunction with a carton of the type described, the separator including a central panel formed by two upstanding Walls, a connecting panel at each end of one of the two upstandingwalls, an outwardly directed end flange joined to each connecting panel and being disposed generally normal to the planes of the walls, the end flanges defining end bottle stops, a plurality of pairs of intermediate flanges directed outwardly from opposite sides of the walls to form intermediate bottle spacers disposed generally normal to the planes of the walls, the pairs of intermediate flanges being struck from portions of both of the two upstanding walls, a first flange of each pair of intermediate flanges being struck from a first of the upstanding walls to form a first opening, a second flange of each of the pair of intermediate flanges being struck from a second of the upstanding walls to form a second opening, and the first opening being generally slightly larger than the second opening whereby the second flange of each of the pairs of intermediate flanges is readily projectable without interference through the first opening.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel bottle separator which is of the double 'wall construction described immediately above, in which the first and second openings of each of the pair of intermediate flanges are substantially identically contoured and at least one of the intermediate flanges is dimensionally toreshortened with respect to another of the intermediate flanges.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a bottle separator including the steps of providing a sheet material blank having connecting panels joined by fold lines between opposite end flanges and one of a pair of partition panels each having intermediate flanges, advancing the blank along a predetermined path in a direction normal to the fold lines joining the connecting panels to the one partition panel, applying an adhesive to the one partition panel and the connecting panels, folding the other of the pair of partition panels to overlie the one partition panel whereby the intermediate flanges are adhesively joined together, and folding the end flanges into overlying contact with both the other partition panels in the adhesively coated connecting panels to join the end flanges solely to the connecting panels.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of this invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a novel sheet material blank from which a novel separator of this invention is formed, and illustrates a pair of central partition panels, a connecting panel joined to one of the pair of partition panels at each end thereof, and an end flange joined to each of the connecting panels.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the blank of FIG URE 1 and illustrates one of the partition panels folded into abutting relationship with another of the partition panels after an adhesive has been first applied to the other partition panel and the two connecting panels.

FIGURE 3 i s a top plan view of the blank of FIG- URES 1 and 2, and illustrates a folded position of the end panels or flanges to secure the same solely to the connecting panels.

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of the separator or partition of this invention, and illustrates the end flanges disposed generally normal to the central partition panels and a plurality of intermediate flanges lying in the Planes of the partition panels and being struck therefrom.

FIGURE 5 is a top perspective view of a bottle carrier with portions thereof broken away for clarity, and illustrates a wrap-around bottle carton and the separator of this invention positioned in the carton with the intermediate flanges of the central panels disposed substantially normal thereto.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 5, and more clearly illustrates the construction of the intermediate flanges and the position of the flanges for preventing contact between adjacent bottles in the carrier.

Reference is first made to FIGURE 1 of the drawings which illustrates a one-piece sheet material blank 10 from which a separator (illustrated in FIGURES 4 through 6) is formed. The sheet material blank 10 is preferably formed from paperstock material, but may, for example, be constructed from plastic or other material which is relatively inexpensive, flexible and easily fabricated.

The blank 10 includes a first central partition panel or wall 11 joined to a second central partition panel or wall 12 along a longitudinal weakened line 13. The weakened line 13 includes a plurality of alternating cut lines 14 and fold lines 15.

The partition panel 11 is substantially rectangular in outline and is set off by the weakened 'line 13, identical transverse edges 16, 16 and a longitudinal edge 17 having an undulating central edge portion 18.

The second partition panel 12 is similarly generally rectangular in outline, and is set off by the weakened line 13, a pair of identical, opposed transverse fold lines 20, 20, and a longitudinal edge 21 having a central undulating edge portion 22.

Each of the two central partition panels 11 and 12 include a plurality of substantially identical pairs of intermediate flanges or panels 23 through 26. Each of the pairs of intermediate flanges 23 through 26 includes a first flange 27 and a second flange 28. Since the first and second flanges, 27 and 28, respectively, of the plurality of pairs of intermediate flanges 23 through 26 are substantially identical, a specific description of the flanges 27 and 28 of the pair of intermediate flanges 23 is considered suflicient for a complete understanding of this invention.

The first flange 27 of the pair of intermediate flanges 23 is of a generally rotated Y-shaped configuration having a short base portion 30 and a pair of identical arms 31, 31. The first flange 27 is formed from the material of the first central partition panel 11 by striking or cutting the same along a cut line 32 having an arcuate edge 33 opening away from a transverse fold line 34 joining the base portion 30 of the first flange 27 to the second flange 28.

The second flange 28 of the pair of intermediate flanges 23 is of a generally inverted C-shaped configuration and is similarly formed from the material of the partition panel 11 by cutting or striking the same along an inverted generally C-shaped cut line 35 to set off a base portion 36 and a pair of identical, diverging arms 37, 37. An irregular portion 38 of the cut line 35 opens away from the transverse fold line 34 and sets off a generally hexagonally shaped panel 40 with an identical irregular portion 41 of a cut line 42 defining the second flange 28 of the pair of intermediate flanges 24. A substantially identical hexagonal panel 43 is similarly set off between the second flanges 28, 28 of the respective pair of intermediate flanges 25 and 26 of the second partition panel 12.

It should be particularly noted that the area of each of the first flanges 27, 27 of the pairs of flanges 23 and 24 is slightly larger than the area of each of the first flanges 27, 27 of the pairs of flanges 25 and 26, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The area of each of the second flanges 28, 28 of the pairs of flanges 23 and 24 .is, however, less than the area of each of the second flanges 28, 28 of the pairs of flanges 25 and 26, as is also clearly shown in FIGURE 2. This difierence in the areas of the flanges is achieved by dimensionally foreshortening the cut lines 32 of the second partition panel 12 .with respect to the cut lines 32 in the first partition panel 11 and similarly dimensionally foreshortening the cut lines 35 and 42 in the first partition panel 11 with respect to the cut lines 35 and 42 in the second partition panel 12. This construction facilitates the passage of the foreshortened flanges through the larger openings (unumbered) when the flanges are pivoted about the transverse fold line 34 in a manner to be described more fully hereafter.

An identical .connecting or reinforcing panel 45 is integrally joined at each transverse edge of the second partition panel 12 bya respective one of the transverse fold lines 20. Each connecting panel 45 is set off by the transverse fold line 20, a short edge 46 adjacent and parallel to the weakened line 13, a tapered edge 47 and a longitudinal fold line 48 forming a continuation of the longitudinal edge 21 of the second partition panel 12.

An identical end flange 50 is integrally joined at each of the fold lines 48 to each of the connecting panels 45. Each of the end flanges 50 is generally octagonal in outline and is set off at one side by the transverse fold line 48 and a portion of the longitudinal edge 21 of the second partition panel 12. Each end flange 50 is further set off by an edge 51 spaced from and parallel to the lines 21 and 48, and a pair of spaced parallel edges 52 and 53. Identical corner edges 54 of each of the end flanges 50 complete the peripheral outline of the end flanges 50.

The blank 10 of FIGURE 1 is folded or erected to form a separator 55 of FIGURES 4 through 6 of the drawings by transporting the blank 10 in a conventional manner along a predetermined path of travel which is substantially parallel to the lines 13 and 48, and normal to the transverse fold lines 20, 20, as is indicated by the broken arrows in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawings. As the blank 10 is being thus conveyed along the predetermined path, three parallel bands or rows of adhesive (identified by the stippling in FIGURES 1 and 2) are applied to both the second central partition panel 12 and each of the connecting panels 45, 45. The rows of adhesive can be applied to the blank 10 in any conventional manner by conventional means, as for example, by adhesive applicator rolls positioned along and slightly above the path traveled by the blank 10. A centermost of the adhesive is applied along the longitudinal center linerof the second central panel 12 while the adhesive of the row of adhesive on each side of the center line is applied to the end portions of the arms 31, 37 of the respective flanges 27 and 28.

After the adhesive has been applied to the second central partition panel 12, the first partition panel 11 is folded along the fold line portions 15 of the weakened line 13 to bring the first central panel 11 into overlying contact with the adhesively coated surface of the central partition panel 12, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. This, of course, brings the flanges 27 and 28 of the partition panel 11 into overlying adhesive contact with the flanges 27 and 28 of the second partition panel 12 and adhesively secures these flanges together.

Each of the end flanges 50, 50 is now folded along its associated longitudinal fold line 48 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. This brings each of the end flanges 50 into overlying adhesive contact with its adjacent connecting panel 45. It should be particularly noted that the first partition panel 11 overlying the adhesively coated surface of the second partition panel 12 prevents the end flanges 50, 50 from being adhesively secured to the second partition panel 12.

Once the adhesive has set, the end flanges 50, 50 are folded along the transverse fold lines 20, to a position substantially normal to the planes of the central panels or walls 11 and 12, as is shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

The pairs of intermediate flanges 23, 24 and 26, 27 are now projected out of the planes of the respective partition panels 11 and 12 by pivoting or folding the pairs of intermediate flanges 24 and 26 in a counterclockwise direction about their adjacent fold lines 34 and similarly folding the pairs of intermediate flanges 23 and 25 in a clockwise direction about the adjacent fold lines 34, 34, in a manner clearly illustrated by the broken directional arrows in FIGURES 4 through 6 of the drawings.

During this folding, the flange 27 of the pair of flanges 26 passes through an opening 56 in the central panel 11 defined by the out line 31 setting off the flange 27 of the pair of flanges 24. The flange 28 of the pair of flanges 24 similarly passes through an opening 57 in the central panel 12 defined by the cut line 42 setting oif the flange 28 of the pair of flanges 26. Since the cut lines 31 and 42 defining the openings 56 and 57 set off an area which is larger than the openings defined by the cut lines 31 and 42 of the respective flanges 26 and 24, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, the respective flanges 27 and 28 of the pairs of flanges 26 and 24 pass readily and without obstruction through the openings 56 and 57 during this folding operation.

The flange 27 of the pair of flanges 25 similarly passes through an opening 58 in the central panel 11 defined by the out line 31 setting oif the flange 27 of the pair of flanges 23. The flange 28 of the pair of flanges 23 also passes through an opening 60 in the central panel 12 defined by the cut line 42 setting off the flange 28 of the pair of flanges 25. As in the case of the cut lines 31 and 42 defining the openings 56 and 57, the cut lines 31 and 42 defining the openings 58 and 60 set off an area which is larger than the openings set off by the cut lines 31 and 42 of the respective pairs of flanges 23 and 25. This construction permits unobstructed passage of the flanges 27 and 28 of the pairs of flanges 25 and 23 respectively through the respective openings 58 and 60.

The completely formed or erected separator or partition 55 is positioned to separate a plurality of bottles B in a manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. The adhesively joined flanges 27, 27 and 28, 28 projecting from opposite sides of the partition panels 11 and 12 present a double thickness of material between adjacent bottles to prevent damage thereto during handling. The end flanges prevent endmost of these bottles from being accidentally or inadvertently dropped from an open end of a conventional Wrap-around carton C which houses the separator 55 and the bottles B in a known manner.

Thus, the bottle separator 55 serves both to separate adjacent bottles B within the carton C and to prevent the accidental removal of the bottles B through the ends of the carton C.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is directed to the fact that other variations may be made in the example bottle separator disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A separator for use in a bottle carrier, said separator including an upstanding central panel, a connecting panel joined to said central panel at each end portion thereof along a first line, an end flange joined to said connecting panel along a second line, said connecting panel and end flange being substantially parallel to each other and substantially normal to said central panel, said first and second lines being angularly disposed fold lines, said connecting panel being positioned wholly to one side of said central panel and said end flange projecting substantially beyond said one side and terminating at a side, of said central panel opposite said one side.

2. A separator for use in a bottle carrier, said separator including an upstanding central panel, a connecting panel joined to said central panel at each end portion thereof along a first line, an end flange joined to said connecting panel along a second line, said connecting panel and end flange being substantially parallel to each other and substantially normal to said central panel, said first and second lines being angularly dispose-d fold lines, said first line lying in a substantially vertical plane and said second line lying in a substantially horizontal plane, said connecting panel being positioned wholly to one side of said central panel and said end flange projecting substantially beyond said one side and terminating at a side of said central panel opposite said one side, and said connecting panel being adhesively secured to said end flange.

3. A separator for use in a bottle carrier, said separator including an upstanding central panel, a connecting panel joined to said central panel at lea-st .at one end portion thereof along a first fold line, an end flange joined to said connecting panel along .a second fold line, said connecting panel and end flange being substantially parallel to each other and substantially normal to said central panel, said connecting panel being positioned wholly to one side of said central panel, and said end flange projecting sub stantially beyond said one side and terminating at a side of said central panel opposite said one side.

4. The separator as defined in claim 3 including a plurality of pairs of intermediate flanges directed outwardly [from said central panel to form intermediate bottle spacers disposed generally normal to the plane of said central panel, said central panel being defined by two upstanding walls, and at least one of said pair of intermediate flanges being formed from wall portions of both of said upstanding walls with a lesser area of one of said walls in a greater area of another of said walls being utilized to form each of said at least one pair of intermediate flanges.

5. The separator as defined in claim 3 wherein said central panel is defined by two upstanding walls, said connecting panel being joined to one of said two upstanding walls, another connecting panel and associated end flange parallel to each other and substantially normal to said central panel, .and said another connecting panel being joined to said one upstanding wall remote from said first-mentioned connecting panel and end flange.

6. The separator as defined in claim 5 wherein said connecting panels are disposed between said end flanges.

7. A separator blank comprising a central partition panel of a generally rectangular configuration and of a predetermined length] and width, :a connecting panel joined to said central partition panel along a first fold line, an end flange panel joined to said connecting panel along a second fold line, said end flange panel being of a generally polygonal configuration and having a free edge remote from said second fold line, and the distance between said second fold line and said free edge being substantially identical to said predetermined width of said central partition panel whereby upon: the folding of said blank along said first and second fold lines to form a separator, the heights of said central partition panel and said end flange panel are substantially identical.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,306,796 6/ 19. 19 :Boswell et a1. 229-15 1,987,771 .1/1935 Bueschel 2129- 2,046,985 7/1936 Wilkins 22915 2,107,085 2/193'8 Rhodes 93-39 2,154,950 4/ 1939 MacDonald 9'339 (Other references on following page) 

1. A SEPARATOR FOR USE IN A BOTTLE CARRIER, SAID SEPARATOR INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING CENTRAL PANEL, A CONNECTING PANEL JOINED TO SAID CENTRAL PANEL AT EACH END PORTION THEREOF ALONG A FIRST LINE, AN END FLANGE JOINED TO SAID CONNECTING PANEL ALONG A SECOND LINE, SAID CONNECTING PANEL AND END FLANGE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID CENTRAL PANEL, SAID FIRST AND SECOND LINES BEING ANGULARLY DISPOSED FOLD LINES, SAID CONNECTING PANEL BEING POSITIONED WHOLLY TO ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL AND SAID END FLANGE PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND SAID ONE SAID AND TERMINATING AT A SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PANEL OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE. 